No Safe place
by shmowzow11
Summary: Starts a little after the cabin scene in Shadow Kiss. Dimitri's still alive, the Strigoi attack never happened. Something bad is happening to Rose. The darkness is happening again, only this time it's worse. Dimitri's the only one who can figure out how to stop the darkness. Or will Dimitri fail, causing Rose to lose her sanity forever?
1. Chapter 1

**RPOV**

It's been about a week since Dimitri and I spent our time in the cabin, and I've been feeling...off. Weird thoughts go through my head, I think I'm hearing things but they're not there. I see things that aren't there. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten. I don't know if it's because Lissa's using her magic or if I'm just feeling overwhelmed that my brain is playing tricks on me, but whatever's going on is freaking me out.

I haven't told Dimitri. Actually, I haven't seen Dimitri since the cabin moment. I've been avoiding him. I don't want him to see how disgusting I've become. If he sees how horrid I look, he'll think I'm disgusting and he won't want to be with me anymore and he'll leave me...

He won't leave me, right?

* * *

**DPOV**

Weird things have been happening to Roza. Ever since our moment in the cabin, she's been acting strangely. Stan told me that she's stopped talking back, which is weird. Roza's told me on multiple occasions that she dislikes Stan with a deep passion. She's always looking for an argument with him. But I would only see her on occasions, and she'd have this weird glazed look in her eyes. She'd stumble around, looking lost and confused. She would mumble to herself and would be absently scratching her arms until they bled.

She's gotten thinner. Roza's always been thin, but her bones are noticeably protruding. Her eyes are bloodshot and dark circles formed under her eyes. She's always flinching, like someone or something startled her or frightened her. The only thing that seems coherent in her mind is to stay away from me. Anytime she noticed me through the fog she was in, she'd hurriedly go in the opposite direction.

It's been going on since the cabin moment.

I could ask the Princess if she's been using her magic lately, but I highly doubt she would after finding out what her magic does to Roza. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

"Princess?" I knock gently on her door. She opened it slightly, looking at me curiously.

"What is it?" Her voice had a bit of a sharpness to it, but I ignored it.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but, have you been using your magic lately? Rose has been acting strange."

Lissa narrowed her eyes slightly. "Not really. I only use it once in a while. What do you mean Rose is acting strange?"

I looked at her in shock. "You're her best friend, I assumed you'd know what was going on with her."

Lissa opened the door wider. "I haven't seen Rose in a week. The bond's only one-sided so I can't say what's been going on." A look of worry swept across her face. "I've been spending a lot of time with Christian. I assumed Rose was spending time with you. You know, practicing and stuff."

I shook my head. "She hasn't shown up for any of our practice sessions."

Lissa shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. I could try and get Rose to talk to me, but she's really stubborn. It's very likely Rose will shake it off as dhampir related stuff." She looked down. "I'm just as worried as you are."

I put a hand on the Princess's shoulder. "I know you are." I said it the sincerity, and I saw Lissa look up at me thankfully. As I left, I couldn't help but wonder that if the Princess wasn't using a lot of her magic, what was causing Roza to lose herself?

"Yo!" I turned and saw Lord Ivashkov strolling towards me. I scowled at him. Seeing Lord Ivashkov attempt to flirt with my Roza always filled me with jealousy and irritation. "Overheard you talking about our little Rosie. Something bad's happened to her, huh?"

"I don't see why you care," I snapped.

Lord Ivashkov scowled at me. "She's my friend, I'd do anything to keep her safe. Even from you, if I have to." If looks could kill, I could imagine Lord Ivashkove being long gone by now. "Trust me, I know the two of you have been hitting it off ever since I came here. Your aura explodes with color when you two are together." Lord Ivashkov gave a loud sigh. "I wish I could make her feel that way about me..."

"You're not helping," I barked.

Lord Ivashkov gave a nervous laugh. "Sorry 'bout that. But I have seen our little Rosie walking around the school lately. She's a bit off her rocker." His emerald eyes sparkled with worry. "Her aura's darker than usual. It's almost completely covered in darkness." He looked at me. "Did my cuz say she was using her magic?"

"Not as frequently," I said impatiently.

"Hmm..." Lord Ivashkov thought for a moment. "Maybe Rosie's little..." He thought for the right word. "..._emptiness_ is a sign of something completely unrelated to my cuz's magic. I could talk to Rosie but she looks so out of it I doubt she'd listen."

"She won't even come near me," I said sadly. "She always runs off at the sight of me."

Lord Ivashkov shook his head. "Something's not right. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Me too."

* * *

**QUICY A/N: SOO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? HOPEFULLY Y'ALL LIKE IT!**

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**~SMITHY**


	2. Chapter 2

**RPOV**

I sat in Stan's class, not listening to a single word. Normally I'd ignore Stan out of spite, but now it was because **they** were talking to me again. Those voices. I don't know where they come from, but they're always talking to me and they won't leave me alone. Stan's voice sounds muffled in the distance, and I thought I heard him yelling at me to pay attention. I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I looked up, it was Dimitri. He looked worried and confused. I saw his mouth moving but no words came out. Was that just me, imagining he wasn't saying anything? Or was he trying to talk and the words just refused to get out?

I don't know.

Whatever's going on... I can't tell what's real or not anymore. Something's happening to me. I try to feel Lissa's emotions through the bond, but it's quiet. I don't feel anything. Was I doing something to block the bond?

Dimitri gently scooped me into his arms and left the classroom.

* * *

**DPOV**

Roza was limp in my arms. Her hazel eyes had darkened and were still glazed over. She'd occasionally mumble something under her breath, too low for me to hear. She would shiver and breathe heavily. I tried talking to her in Stan's class, but she looked so confused and unreachable. I could tell that the friends she had in that class had become worried about her. She seemed to have gotten worse.

Lord Ivashkov said he'd try and talk to her when he got the chance, but when?

He tried talking to Lissa, but she knew nothing about what was going on. She'd told Lord Ivashkov the same thing she told me-she hadn't seen Roza in a week. And if she **did** see Roza, she looked sickly thin and just acting unnatural.

Lord Ivashkov explained how dark Roza's "aura" had been, and that seemed to sent the Princess over the edge. I remember how the darkness had taken over Roza when she beat Jesse up for hurting the Princess. Lord Ivashkov said this could be a deeper side of being shadow-kissed.

"She died and you brought her back," Lord Ivashkov said. "Little dhampir claimed she saw ghosts, she can sense Strigoi, and gets overwhelmed when you use your magic." He looked at the Princess intensely. "Whatever's going on with little dhampir is probably unrelated to your magic, cuz. She doesn't seem to be getting any better. She only seems to be getting worse."

As the days progressed, and as I hate to admit it, Lord Ivashkov was right.

Roza seemed to be a walking skeleton. Her eyes were bloodshot, the dark circles under her eyes got darker, and her once silky hair looked stringy and oily. Her tanned skin turned into a pasty pale and her lips were dry and chapped.

She would mutter things under her breath and look around like she was paranoid. Headmistress Kirova tried sending Roza to the infirmary but Roza would only fight back, screaming things that weren't English. Occasionally, if she was screaming in English, she'd say "they" were coming for her and "they" were going to kill her.

It seemed like everything that everyone tried to do was pointless. Roza wasn't getting better.

So, that's why Kirova had Roza locked up.

* * *

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**YOURS TRULY,**

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	3. Chapter 3

**RPOV**

I sat in a cell, by myself. In that cell was a bed with an uncomfortable mattress, a small window with iron bars on the outside, a dull and flickering light, and a small bathroom. It's a "special" Moroi mental institution. The dhampir nurses tried having me socialize with the other patients, but I got violent and attacked a lot of them. The nurses decided to keep me isolated. They give me anti-anxiety pills, anti-hallucination pills, antidepressants, and, when I can't sleep, sedatives. When the nurses give me water, it has a weird metallic taste to it.

The doctors had a security camera set up in my cell [I'm sure there're cameras set up in **all** the cells] but they watch me in particular. I've done self-harm to myself in so many ways. I've clawed my arms, tried sharpening whatever item I can find to cut, and I'd starve myself.

Deep down, in this middle of this uncontrollable darkness, I feel a deep and burning hatred for Dimitri. He **allowed** them to take me away. He didn't care. He didn't stop them. Why didn't he stop them? He didn't care about me, he never loved me. Everything he told me was a huge lie and I wanted him to pay for that.

**Do it, Rose. Give Dimitri what he deserves. He let them take you into an institution. He didn't say one word. Everything Dimitri said was a lie and he doesn't care about you. He's probably going after Tasha.**

Tasha? The one woman who couldn't let Dimitri go. Was he seeing her? Did he want someone around his age? Of course he did. I'm "too young for him." He used me. He manipulated my feelings and my mind. I felt myself hyperventilating. My heart was pounding painfully against my ribs, my head throbbed. I felt sweat trickle down my neck and my fingernails dig into my upper arms. I felt blood drip down my arms.

"Dimitri," I muttered darkly. "Dimitri..."

* * *

**DPOV**

It's been a few days since Roza's transfer to that mental institution. No one's given me an update on her condition. No one seems to know. I'm worried sick about her. After the cabin moment Roza and I had, I called my family and told them about me and Roza's relationship, though they were a bit hesitant because Roza's my student, they were happy for me.

But when I told them about Roza's meltdown, they were worried sick. Mama said she'd visit in a few days, along with my sisters and niece and nephew.

I hope Roza's okay.

* * *

**QUICKY A/N: SORRY THIS CH. IS SO SHORT. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN THE NEXT CH.? REVIEW, PLEASE.**

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**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	4. Chapter 4

**RPOV**

"You have a visitor." One of the nurses had come to tell me that. She was a petite nurse with curly, ashy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was a dhampir. I don't know her name. She **might** have told me at one point, but I obviously wasn't paying attention. And a visitor? I hadn't had a visitor in three weeks. Not even Lissa lifted a finger to see me. Some best friend...

The nurse motioned for my "visitor" to come in, and then she scurried out of the room. It was Dimitri. He stood by the door nervously, his eyes scanning the room.

"H-Hi, Roza," he stammered. I just looked at him. He seemed different. A shadow of stubble covered his jaw. His hair seemed messy, like he hadn't bothered brushing it in a few days. He took a step to me, and then another. Once he was about two feet from me, he gave a small smile. "I-I hope you're doing okay, Roza." His words seemed sincere, but I knew he didn't mean it.

"Leave me alone," I said bitterly. "I hate you."

Shock and hurt flooded Dimitri's features. "Roza, I don't know what's happened to you, but I really hope you're doing okay."

I was sitting on my bed, hugging my knees to my chest. I glared at Dimitri. "You don't mean it," I snapped. "You let me go."

"What?" Dimitri looked at me confusedly.

I pointed at Dimitri. "**You** did this to me."

Dimitri shook his head. "I didn't do anything but love you, Roza." He knelt down and brushed his fingers against my cheek. "I will always love you, no matter what happens."

I rolled the sleeves up to my shirt. "You did this to me," I muttered. "You **made** this happen."

I dug my fingernails into my skin, so hard that blood started dripping down my arms. Slowly, I began clawing my arms.

* * *

**DPOV**

I watched in horror as Roza clawed her arms. Blood dripped from her wounds. I called for help, and it seemed like a lifetime before anyone came in. A Moroi doctor came in, with some dhampir nurses, and forcefully removed Roza's nails from her arms. One dhampir nurse who held a syringe stuck it in Roza's arm and held her down on her bed.

"You did this," she slurred. "Your fault..."

The Moroi doctor looked at me. "She didn't hurt you did she?" he asked. I shook my head. "She was violent with the other patients when she first got here. We have to keep her isolated." He shook his head. He ordered one of the nurses to get a nail clipper so Roza's nails could be shortened.

Violent? Roza was violent with the other patients?

"What did she do?" I asked, aware that my voice cracked.

"Beat one of the patients senseless," the doctor sighed. "Broke another's arm, gave another a slight concussion." He looked at Roza then back at me. "She's out of control. The meds we're giving her hardly work."

**...**

When I got back to the Academy, I went to the Moroi wing and slammed my fist on Lord Ivashkov's door. When he opened it, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol hit me in the face.

"I need to talk to you," I said sternly. I had a feeling Lord Ivashkov was slightly drunk, but if it was about Roza, he'd have to sober up for a little bit.

Lord Ivashkov blinked and balanced himself against the doorframe. "About what?" His voice was slurred. He was drunk.

"Rose." When I said that, the cloudiness in his eyes seemed to vanish and he straightened up. He let me in and I felt bile rise up at the stench of cigarettes and alcohol. I opened a window and stood by it.

"What's with little dhampir?" Lord Ivashkov tried to sound a bit coherent, but he was having a difficult time.

"She's not getting better," I said. "I visited her at the institution, she clawed her arms. She was bleeding and blaming me for what happened to her."

"What didya do to her?" Lord Ivashkov sat on his sofa, rubbing his eyes.

I clenched my jaw. If I told him the whole truth...

"Well?"

"I slept with her," I answered. Lord Ivashkov looked at me.

"You two..."

I nodded.

He sighed. "I had a feeling..." He rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled something. "It could have been built up darkness or whatever. I mean, if it's something like that, maybe the little **moment** you two shared somehow unleashed it." Lord Ivashkov shrugged lazily. "I don't know what to tell you, Belikov. I'm running out of options."

With a mumbled thanks, I left Lord Ivashkov's room. As I was walking back to my room, an idea popped into my head. An idea I didn't like at all.

**...**

At the Moroi prison, I asked to see Victor Dashkov. Since he seemed to know more about Roza being shadow-kissed than I do, **hopefully** he could cooperate and help.

"Ah, guardian Belikov," Victor said. "It's been quite a while hasn't it?"

"I'm not here for any games, Victor," I growled. "Something's wrong with Rose and I need to ask you some questions."

"Your dhampir lover?" Victor looked at me expectantly. "Tell me, guardian Belikov, what's wrong with our favorite dhampir now?"

"She's ill," I snapped. "Something's wrong with her mind."

Victor laughed. "Ill? Well I'll say. Has the Princess been using any spirit lately? That normally sets Rose off."

"She hasn't." It took all the self-control I had not to reach in there and punch him.

Victor's brows shot up. "She hasn't? Well that's an odd one indeed." Victor thought for a moment. "You know Rose is shadow-kissed right?"

I nodded.

"So you know she died and was brought back to life."

I nodded.

"Have you ever thought that maybe they're calling her back?"

"Who's **they?"**

Victor smiled a cold smile. "The land of the dead. When someone dies, they're normally not supposed to come back. It's a miracle if they do. In dear Rose's case, when she died, she was supposed to **stay** dead. But the Princess's desperation to bring her back brought Rose back to life. Rose was the only family the Princess had. When the Princess's parents and brother died, she was devestated, but Rose was supposed to be the Princess's guardian. Rose was the most important person in the Princess's life." He chuckled. "And when the Princess accidentally used her spirit on Rose, that pulled Rose out of the land of the dead and back to the land of the living. I take it the land of the dead has quite the grudge for Rose being alive still. They're pulling her back."

I stared at Victor in disbelief. "You think she's being taken by..."

"Didn't Rose ever tell you she saw ghosts?" Victor interrupted.

I thought back, back to when Roza's friend had died and she claimed she saw his ghost. I nodded.

"That's a side effect from her death," Victor said. "I believe that ghost was supposed to tell her something. You didn't believe her, did you?"

"None of us did," I whispered. "We put her in therapy."

Victor tsked me and shook his head. "That will only make things worse, guardian Belikov. And by the looks of it, the worse has already happened. It's only a matter of time before our favorite dhampir is gone." I looked at Victor. "Didn't you know? The land of the dead has the most unique and disturbing ways for bringing those who were brought back to life back to the dead lands." He gave a chilling smile. "I want you to go and meet somoene. He's my half-brother. His name is Robert. He knows quite more about this kind of stuff. Listen carefully to the directions I'm about to give you, guardian Belikov, because I will not repeat myself."

Once he gave me the directions, I went to my room to write it down.

* * *

**QUICKY A/N: HEY-YO! WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS CH.? WAS IT TOO BORING? REVIEW PLEASE!**

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**~SMITHY**


	5. Chapter 5

**RPOV**

I laid on my bed, curled in a tight ball. After Dimitri had visited, the people in charge of the institution assigned me a new nurse. Some dhampir man with cruel blue eyes and messy brown hair. Everytime he gives me my meds or my food he gives me this look that I can't explain. I don't like him.

And neither do **they.**

* * *

**DPOV**

The location of Victor's half-brother is in Europe. This Robert person lives in Vienna, Austria, and was practically impossible to find, even **with** Victor's instructions. I felt overwhelmed by all of this. It seemed like someone flipped a switch and it went from me and Roza being madly in love with each other to Roza just being mad. A knock on my door startled me out of my frustrations.

"Belikov, you've got some visitors." I stood up and opened the door. Celeste, one of the few female guardians, nodded to me and left. When I saw who my visitors were, I was surprised to see it was my family. Mama and my sisters and my grandmother and my niece and nephew. Everyone except Babushka tackled me with a hug. I gave a strained smile, hoping my frustration wasn't showing.

"How's Roza doing?" Mama asked frantically. "Did you visit her at all? Is she getting better?"

My face darkened. "She's getting **worse.** I **did** visit her but that only seemed to set her off even more."

"What do you mean" Viktoria, my youngest sister, asked.

I shook my head. "I don't understand it quite yet. But I heard that there's someone who could help; someone who knows how to handle the condition Roza's in."

Babushka was the only one who hadn't said a word, the others kept rattling me with questions and concerns. But I could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew what was going to happen next.

* * *

**RPOV**

I stood by my door. One of **them** told me that the dhampir nurse was coming and he was going to do something bad. I don't know what **they** meant by "bad," but I needed to find out. When the door opened and he saw me standing there, he jumped. He was holding a small paper cup and a few pills in his hands. The anti-hallucination drugs that the institution has been giving me has stopped working. The antidepressants have stopped working. The anti-anxiety pills have stopped working.

"You scared me," he said in a strange voice.

I just looked at him.

"Time to take your meds." His voice was almost mocking, like he enjoyed making fun of these kinds of people.

"Stop," I said flatly. "I want you to stop."

"Stop what?" His voice had a sharp edge to it. He sounded irritated with me but his eyes sparkled with something else.

"Leave me alone." I looked at him blankly.

"I'm your nurse, **Hathaway,"** he snarled. "I **have** to take care of you."

"Go away." I shoved him out the door. He glared at me. I didn't flinch or anything.

"You need to take your meds," he said icily.

I took a step back.

In a fit of rage, he tackled me. I hit my head on the hard ground, black spots danced in my vision. He began punching me, but I didn't make a sound. I clawed his face and bit his arms and twisted his wrist. That only seemed to fuel his anger. Slamming the door, he began hitting me again.

And before I could do anything else, before I could hurt him more severely, he was doing more than hitting me.

* * *

**DPOV**

I invited everyone to my room and told them everything. Not everything, necessarily, because I tried keeping it innocent enough for my niece and nephew. Mama seemed to be the first to accept my relationship with Roza, and the others, except for my older sister Sonya [she didn't like the idea of me dating someone younger than myself]. Sonya never really like the women I dated.

"I don't know what to do," I muttered.

"Go visit that man," Mama exclaimed in disbelief. "You want Roza better, right?" I nodded. "Then you get to Austria and you make that man tell you what to do. I want to meet Roza and I'm just as worried about her as you. Any woman who makes my son happy is someone I'd like to meet." I gave Mama a thankful smile.

"Roza's well-known at school, Dimka." Viktoria looked at me intently. "Everyone knows about her."

I gave a small smile. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Where there's tragedy," Babushka said quietly, "more will surely follow."

We all looked at her, but she simply looked away.

* * *

**RPOV**

The doctors found me on the floor. I was bleeding and my body ached and burned. I couldn't walk after what that man did to me. I didn't cry and I didn't scream. The doctors made me go to the institution's infirmary. The people who worked there put bandages and medicine on the wounds on my arms and face. They told my doctors that I should stay in the infirmary for a few days so they could run tests.

So I did.

**...**

**Where's Dimitri? Didn't he say he'd never let anything bad happen to you? Something did happen to you and he didn't protect you. Dimitri ruined you. Let him go. Let everything go. You don't belong here. You belong with us. Just let yourself go and you'll never have to worry about this again. Do it.**

I stared at the infirmary's ceiling. The voices kept talking to me. **They** keeping telling me to let everything go. That I have to let Dimitri go. Should I? He lied to me. He said he'd protect me and he let **them** get me. I despise Dimitri. I despise everything about him.

There was a soft knock on the door. One of the infirmary's doctors came in to do a checkup. The security officers in the institution had my legs and arms restrained. I didn't utter a single word or move a muscle as the doctor inspected me. She scribbled things on a clipboard and mumbled to herself. Once she left, the voices started again.

After about fifteen minutes, the door slammed open. I kept staring at the ceiling.

"Roza?" The voice was soft and had an underlying Russian accent. It was deep and masculine. Nothing stirred in me. "My Roza, look at me."

My Roza? I thought. It's Dimitri. Why is he here? Hasn't he done enough? He's the reason that man hurt me. He's the reason I'm locked up. He's the reason **they** won't go away.

Dimitri's fingers cupped my chin and forced me to look at him. His face was distraught and he seemed out of breath.

"I know a way to make you better," he whispered. "I figured out a way."

I kept looking at him.

He began untying my arms and legs and picked me up, cradling me to his chest.

**He's going to make your life more miserable. Hasn't Dimitri done enough damage? Look at what he's done to you. Just let go. Come back to us. You don't need to be here. You'll be happier with us.**

I turned my head. I looked at Dimitri's broad chest, clinging to the t-shirt he wore. The infirmary doctors gave me a lot of pain killers. I felt numb all over.

Dimitri kept mumbling something in Russian. I don't care to know what he's saying.

I couldn't tell if Dimitri was running or not. Everything passed in one big blur.


	6. QUICKY AN

**QUICKY A/N: OKAY, SO I'VE GOT THIS IDEA FOR A NEW FANFIC THAT I SHALL BE WRITING ONCE I'M FINISHED WITH THIS. BUT IT WON'T BE A VA FANFIC, IT SHALL BE A HOST CLUB FANFIC. A HARUHI&MORI PARING. DON'T JUDGE! I THINK THOSE TWO WOULD BE AN ADORABLE COUPLE! BUT, I SHALL WRITE MORE VA FANFICS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I'M JUST GOING TO BE EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW MATERIAL. SO, STAY TUNED AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN THIS STORY. :)**

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**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	7. Chapter 7

**DPOV**

I was outside the institution, gently laying Roza down in the backseat of my car. It had taken hours of careful planning for me to break Roza out. She was limp in my arms, not uttering a single word. I am certain that security or whoever runs the institution will have people on my trail to get Roza back, but I needed to get to Austria to find this Robert man. Mama said she'd explain to Kirova that I had to go on an important business trip and I had to leave immediately.

I placed my duster over Roza's pale body and kissed her forehead. It was clammy and I could see dark circles under her eyes. She barely noticed my presence.

_Don't worry, Roza,_ I thought confidentally. _I'll save you._

I climbed into the driver's side and drove off.

**...**

After hours of driving, I ended up at an airport and asking the workers any flights that could take Roza and I to Vienna quickly. A young woman, who was also trying to flirt with me, told me and I thanked her. I noticed her shoulders slump, defeated, when I didn't acknowledge her flirtatious moves.

I hurried back to my car, I had left Roza there, still laying in the backseat. When I checked on her, her eyes were closed.

"Roza," I murmured. She opened her eyes and looked at the car's ceiling. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I'll get you better. I promise."

"No you won't," she said, her voice empty of any emotion. "You're a liar. You can't protect me. Even if you promise there's nothing you can do."

"Stop it," I growled angrily. "I'm going to protect you, Roza. I know what's happening to you. I spoke to Victor. Remember him? He tried kidnapping the Princess. He knows what's going on with you."

Rose turned away from me. "You can try all you want, but you will never stop it."

I felt my eyes sting. "Why?" That was the only word that came out of my mouth.

"It's impossible," she muttered tiredly. "They'll always be there."

* * *

**RPOV**

Dimitri went back to the airport to buy tickets. He wanted us to leave immediately. That little 'discussion' we had seemed to make his mood sour. He had too much faith. **They** were infuriated. Dimitri wasn't supposed to save me.

**If he saves you, we'll never leave. We will always be here. You will die and you will return to us. It's only a matter of time...**

I'd see shadows moving on the ceilings. They would look like hands or faces or shapeless creatures. I could feel them touch me and bite me and overwhelm me. My mind is foggy and unreachable. I can't keep a coherent thought and occasionally things would get blurry. The blurriness would last for a second and I would see normally again.

**You will die! Your spirit-user isn't here to save you now... Your precious Dimitri can't save you from us. We will always be there. We will overshadow you. You can't keep fighting forever. Eventually, you'll have to give up.**

I closed my eyes and let my mind wander. I tried keeping my mind focused on one thing, but I would get taken somewhere else. I would see horrible disfigured people in my head. I would get horrible headaches, so strong it made my entire face hurt.

When the door to the car opened again, the smell of aftershave filled the air and I felt my nose crinkle in disgust.

He can't save me, I thought bitterly. He's a liar. He said he'd never let anything bad happen to me. I looked at the car's ceiling, my body shifting while Dimitri drove. He's doing the impossible. Saving me? He couldn't do that, no matter how hard he tries.

I closed my eyes.

* * *

**DPOV**

I had been able to buy two tickets. The man who gave me the tickets said that the plane hadn't even landed yet and it would take hours for it to arrive. I took that as my chance to quickly go back to the academy and pack some of Roza's belongings.

_I don't care what she says,_ I thought, my hands squeezing the steering wheel. _I will save you, Roza._

* * *

**QUICKY A/N: I KNOW IT'S SHORT AND MOST LIKELY NOT THAT GOOD, BUT STILL, REVIEW PLEASE. AND I'LL PROBABLY START MY HOST CLUB FANFIC WHILE WRITING THIS ONE. HOPE YOU GUYS DON'T MIND! THANKS FOR ALL THE NICE REVIEWS YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN ME, Y'ALL ARE THE REASON I LOVE WRITING NEW FANFICS.**

**:) :)**

**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	8. Chapter 8

**DPOV**

Once I made it to the Academy, I quickly made it to Roza's room and packed as many things as I could. Clothes, hair supplies, shower supplies, and lots of other things. Once I packed it away, I made it, unnoticed, to the car and stuffed all of Roza's belongings into the trunk, trying to fit it with the few belongings I had back there.

I checked on Roza, she had her eyes closed and her facial expression was blank. Her hair was greasy and hung, in strings, around her face. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and I noticed my duster was damp with Roza's sweat. My heart sank at the sight of that. I reached over and gently brushed the stringy strands from Roza's face and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, milaya." I kissed her cheek. "I'll save you. Don't leave me."

I got into the front seat and sped off.

I made it back to the airport with half an hour to spare; I scooped Roza up and gathered some of her clothes and changed her out of her institutional clothes and into her natural clothes. Her old clothes were a little big on her but it still looked fine. I brushed her hair and pulled it into a ponytail.

Roza opened her eyes and looked at me blankly. "I'm hurting," she muttered.

"Where are you hurting?" I asked gently, my fingers gently touching her cheek.

Roza's eyes stayed focused on mine. "I am hurting." Her voice was stern and her eyes were clouded over.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. "I don't have any medication for you, Roza." I gave a strained smile. "If I could take away whatever pain you're feeling, I would."

Roza's eyes narrowed. "Make it go away." Her voice was low and menacing, her muscles tense.

I felt myself tense slightly. "I can't, Roza. There's nothing I can do."

In a quick movement, Roza's hand lashed out and a stinging sensation crossed my cheek. I touched my cheek and, when I pulled my hand back, saw blood smeared on my palm. Roza had clawed my cheek. I sighed and looked at Roza.

"I'm hurting," she repeated. "Make it go away."

Scooping Roza in my arms, and trying to hold some of our belongings at the same time, we went into the airport and waited for our plane to be called.

* * *

**RPOV**

I noticed the way Dimitri's blood filled the wounds I made. He refused to make the pain go away, he deserved some pain as well. I glared at his claw marks. He said he was going to 'make me better,' but there's no way he'll ever cure me. I looked away from Dimitri's wound and looked at his chest. It was broad and muscled. Something, deep inside me, stirred, but it was quickly diminished.


	9. Chapter 9

**DPOV**

Once our plane was called and we boarded on, I gently placed Roza on the seat next to mine. She tried scooting away from me, but I put on her seatbelt so she couldn't move around too much. I put mine on and felt a feeling of relief. I desperately hoped this Robert man could help bring my Roza back. He _had_ to know how to bring her back...

I looked at Roza. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin a pasty white. She looked as if she were sweating. I reached over and patted the top of her hand. She looked at me with a blank expression. I tried for a smile, but I could only imagine it looked like a grimace.

_"They_ hate you," she muttered bitterly. _"They_ want to kill you."

My heart leapt. A feeling of dread made my stomach ache. "Well, _they_ won't," I said, more to myself than to her. I looked at her sternly.

Roza's eyes seemed darker, the blackest I've ever seen. "You can't stop _them,"_ she hissed. _"They'll_ do what they want. _They_ will make your death painful. Very painful." My body stiffened. Whoever is telling her this could easily persuade her to hurt me, or anyone. The blankness on her face changed to anger and frustration.

"I don't care what _they_ do to me," I said softly, "as long as you're safe."

She snickered but didn't say anything else.

* * *

**RPOV**

_Do you honestly think that dhampir can save you?! He hasn't the slightest clue on what he's doing. You will return to us, Rosemarie, and nothing will stop us..._

**Once we've killed that dhampir, no one will help you. You'll be under our control. No more interferences. You cannot keep fighting forever, Rosemarie. Eventually, you'll have to give up...**

The plane had taken off over an hour ago. So far, I've had multiple nosebleeds and headaches. No matter what Dimitri or anyone does, nothing can stop what's happening. The voices seemed to have gotten stronger once the plane took off, and the nosebleeds were heavy and lasted a long time. I felt lightheaded, but I didn't show any signs of being that way. The voices kept telling me how _they'd_ kill Dimitri, how long and agonizing _they_ would make his last moments. Since they couldn't physically touch him, _they_ said I had to. I'm the only one who could express _their_ rage.

Dimitri had my face in one hand and a bloodied paper towel pressed against my nose. He didn't want it pressed too hard, he wanted me to be able to breathe. An elderly woman would constantly go back to the airplane's bathroom and retreive clean papertowels for Dimitri.

"It isn't stopping," Dimitri muttered in a worried tone. When the woman handed him another papertowel, he placed the bloodied one on his lap and pressed the clean one on my nose.

"Stop it," I said darkly. "Let me bleed out."

Dimitri looked at me with a look of defiance and determination. "Don't talk like that, Roza." He removed his hand a little to check my nose. It stung and ached. "The bleeding seemed to have stopped," he said under his breath. My mind wandered, but I saw him looking over my shoulder to say something. Probably thanking the woman who helped him.

**The jugular vein...the temple...the Adam's apple...the kidneys...the collarbone...the eyes...the neck...the stomach...The list could go on. There are so many ways you could kill him. Which would be easiest?**

How would I be able to kill a fully-trained guardian? Dimitri's taller and stronger than me. He weighs more than me too. All those muscles...

A dull ache pulled at my chest. Something familiar fluttered inside of me. But whatever it was, it disappeared before I could identify it. Dimitri gently stroked strands of hair away from my face. My face felt sticky and filthy.

Dimitri gave a long sigh. "You've got some blood smeared on your face," he said wearily. "But that nice woman said she'd wet a papertowel. She should be back soon." After a moment's silence, Dimitri was handed a damp papertowel and started cleaning my face. It had turned crimson from the blood. Once I was cleaned up, Dimitri suggested I tried getting some sleep.

I closed my eyes.

* * *

**DPOV**

I hadn't realized I fell asleep until I felt a jolt. The plane was landing. I shook Roza, waking her up, and we [well, I did] grabbed our things and got off the plane.

We were in Vienna.


	10. Chapter 10

**DPOV**

I had copied down Victor's directions. I was able to hail down a cab and tried my best to tell the directions to the driver. I wasn't fluent in their language. When the cab driver finally found out what I was trying to say, he drove off. Roza had her head on my lap, her eyes staring blankly at the back of the cab driver's head. She hadn't uttered a single word, or even made a sound, since we got off the plane. I absently stroked her hair, trying to calm myself. Roza's hair wasn't as soft as it was before, it was stringy and a bit oily. But the way Roza's hair felt now than from the way it felt before didn't matter to me. I loved Roza's hair no matter how it looked.

"How're you feeling, Roza?" I asked quietly.

No response.

I gently moved her face so she would look at me. "Roza?" I asked uncertainly.

"I hate you," she hissed. "You're going to die. You **will** die."

A knot twisted itself in my stomach. I shook my head. "I won't die, Roza." I gave her a defiant look. "I won't let anything hurt you anymore. I promise."

"You're a liar," she spat. "You don't know how deep my hatred for you is."

I pursed my lips. No matter how many hateful things Roza said, I knew it wasn't her fault. Whatever was doing this to her was causing her to become bitter and angry. But when I looked in her eyes, I saw the tiniest bit of desperation and hope, as if she believed I could save her. But she was slipping. The last bits of sanity she was clinging to was disappearing. My heart dropped.

This Robert man must have a damned good explanation on how to save Roza. I wouldn't have travled to an entirely different country to find out he had no idea what he was doing.

"I will save you, Roza," I said quietly.

"I'll see you in hell." Each word was filled with venom. "I'll see all of you in hell."

* * *

**RPOV**

Dimitri's confidence was getting tiresome. He wouldn't be able to save me in time. There was no way. I could feel the last bits of my old self, the smart-mouth and stubborn Rosemarie Hathaway, starting to slip away. It felt as if I was leaving my body. I couldn't feel anything, there was occasionally a tingly sensation that would spread from my chest throughout my body, but I felt more like an empty shell. One of Dimitri's hands kept stroking my hair, and I wanted him to stop, but at the same time I didn't. Dimitri's gesture reminded me of something...something that was vaguely familiar.

When the cab stopped, Dimitri scooped me up, and with the cab driver's help, gathered our belongings and placed them on the doorstep of someone's house. Dimitri managed to knock on the door; I could feel Dimtri's heart beating uncontrollably in his chest. My head felt foggy.

* * *

**DPOV**

When the door opened, the man I presumed was Robert stood on the other side. He looked at me, then at Roza.

"Who are you?" he said coolly, but I could hear an underlying fear in his voice.

"I need your help," I said. "Victor Dashkov said you could help her get better." I looked down at Roza, and so did he.

"My brother sent you?" he asked. I nodded. "There's complete blackness surrounding her." His voice became emotionless. "It's there, but at the same time it's not." He gave his head a sharp shake. "Get inside." He gathered some of our belongings and I tried picking up the rest and hurried inside. Robert told me to lay Roza down on the living room sofa. I knelt down next to her, gently stroking her hair.

"Can you help her?" I asked quickly.

Robert observed her closely. "She's fading too fast," he said, more to himself than to me. "Explain. I need to know how this happened."

I stiffened. Would he be disgusted at the fact that I'm her teacher, and everything Roza and I did together? But if it helped my Roza get better, then it didn't matter. I explained everything, and it didn't seem to faze Robert even slightly.

"She's bonded to a spirit-user?" I nodded. "Her bondmate hasn't been using her spirit-abilities too much has she?"

"I asked the same thing, and she said no," I explained.

Robert grunted. "So this isn't spirit related," he muttered. "The darkness is coming from within herself. Like my half-brother said, when she died and then got brought back to life, the **other** **side** wasn't pleased. When someone dies, they're basically supposed to stay dead. In her case, the fact that a spirit-user brought her back, and the dhampir's bondmate still has the ability to bring her back if she died again, infuriates **them.** **They're** attacking your dhampir from the inside. Her body's slowly, but surely, shutting down."

My blood ran cold. Her body was shutting down?

"The first thing **they'll** do is cause her to go insane," Robert explained. **"They'll** try and convince her to let everything go and return to **them.** Then, **they'll** go after all the vital organs in the body. She's a stubborn one. I'm surprised she made it this far."

I felt my eyes fill with tears. **Surprised?** He's **surprised** she made it this far?! Was she supposed to be dead?

"My Roza has always been stubborn," I whispered shakily. "She never goes down without a fight."

"I don't know how long it'll take me to save her," Robert said doubtfully. "**If** I'll be able to save her." He shook his head. "She's practically gone by now - mentally I mean. Next thing is organ failure. And once that happens..."

I felt the tears run over. I couldn't lose Roza. I just couldn't.

"She has to stay here," Robert said. "No matter what. Take her to one of the rooms upstairs. I don't care which." I gently picked Roza up and walked up the stairs.

I cried the entire way.

* * *

**RPOV**

There was something wet falling on me. On my cheeks and my forehead...The feeling stung a little, then the sensation would disappear. I felt my head beginning to throb. A burning sensation in my chest. I had my eyes open, but everything seemed to blur together. The sensations would slowly go away.

**You've let everything go, Rosemarie. Everyone you know and love is gone. They're free. They no longer have a hold over you. You belong to us...**

Rosemarie, you have finally become one of us again...You are finally going to be where you belong.

* * *

**DPOV**

Robert had begun working on Roza over an hour ago. I was in the hallway, trying to control my emotions. I wanted to call everyone, but I couldn't think of the right words. It was overwhelming. Robert had to save Roza...

He had to.


	11. Chapter 11

**DPOV**

After about two weeks of staying at Robert's house, I've been so exhausted with worry. Robert informed me, rather indimitatingly, that I can't go into Roza's room under any circumstances. My gut's telling me that I should be with Roza, comforting her and never leaving her side, but Robert told me that he doesn't need anyone interfering with his work. The good thing is that Robert has kept me up-to-date with everything he's been doing to Roza. He's been using his magic [he's a spirit-user] to try and heal Roza and a few other things. Apparently, Robert's a more powerful spirit-user than lord Ivashkov and the Princess.

"You should get some sleep." I was in the kitchen, gripping a cup of coffee so hard my fingers ached. I looked up and Robert looked at me with a tired expression.

"I don't need sleep," I muttered worriedly. "You should be getting some sleep. You've been working your ass off since Roza and I got here." I looked at Robert, I desperately wanted to ask my usual question on how Roza's doing.

"She's the same as she was yesterday," Robert said. "She's not getting any better, but she's not getting any worse. It's like the darkness has kept her in some sort of...comatose state."

I sighed irritably. I shook my head.

"I won't give up on her," he said flatly. "I can tell she means a lot to you. I'll try the best I can."

I gave Robert a strained smile. "Thank you, Robert."

* * *

**RPOV**

I couldn't move my body. I couldn't open my eyes. When this man began his work on me, a heaviness came over me. I'd feel warm sensations come over me, as if the sun was shining on me. Blackness swirled in me, I'd feel their fingers poke at me and their whispers and their hisses. When the warm sensations would come over me, it felt as if it was fighting its way through the darkness, but the darkness would overwhelm it. But everytime the sensation came, a little bit of darkness would leave.

* * *

**DPOV**

I was in my bedroom. Robert convinced me that I should get some rest, he went to go work some more on Roza. I laid on my bed, looking at the ceiling, feeling sad and angry and frustrated...

I tried to remember everything I adored about Roza...

Her beauty and sarcasm and dry humor and determination and defiance and how she'd fight back so easily.

I tried to remember how it felt when Roza and I first kissed; I tried to remember how it felt when Roza and I admitted our feelings for each other. I tried to remember how it felt holding Roza in my arms and how it easy it was to be around her and how she filled me with a happiness that no one else could make me feel. I didn't even realize I was crying until a strangled sob escaped my mouth. Quickly, I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to calm myself. I couldn't. For the first time since Roza had been slipping, I allowed myself to cry.

* * *

**ROBERT'S POV**

I tried pushing as much of my magic into the young dhampir as I could. Whatever was controlling her body was strong. Really, really strong. I'd always feel it trying to push me out, as if they thought I was intruding on them. But I promised Dimitri that I'd do whatever I could to make this young dhampir well again. Though this one might be impossible. The process is so far along that I highly doubt I'd be able to save her in time. If by some miracle she managed to survive, I don't know how much damage she would have sustained.

* * *

**RPOV**

The warm sensation has been coming on and off through me. I don't know how long it's been appearing, but it's been acting stubbornly. The darkness would fight it off, but it was obvious that the darkness was starting to weaken a little. The warm sensation's been fighting back very violently, filling me and overwhelming me too, but then the darkness would overshadow it and force the warm sensation out. The darkness would cry and scream and hiss and spit, but the warm sensation didn't back down. Deep down, something inside me flickered, as if someone turned on a lightswitch. Something started to dimly light up in me, something I hadn't felt in such a long time.

Hope.


	12. Chapter 12

**RPOV**

The hope that flickered in me was like a dying flame, it would desperately try and stay alive, but it was slowly diminishing. Wherever that warm sensation was, it was gone now. It had long since stopped trying to fight the darkness. All I know is that the darkness had weakened tremendously.

* * *

**DPOV**

I had dozed off for what seemed like minutes, but was actually hours. Overwhelmed by hunger and worry, I got out of bed and shuffled into Robert's kitchen. He wasn't in the kitchen, so I thought he might be working on Roza. I got an apple from a fruit basket and ate it greedily. I couldn't actually taste it, my entire body felt numb from the whole ordeal. My mind was spinning with all the possibilities of Roza making it out alive, and how I'd never let anything that serious happen to her again. Roza was too precious, and I couldn't let something like that ever happen. It still worries me that it happened in the first place.

_She'll make it out alive,_ I thought, trying to reassure myself. _Roza's the most stubborn, yet the most strongest woman I know. She won't give up. She's never given up on anything..._

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to contain the emotions that swirled in me. I desperately wanted my Roza back, I desperately wanted Roza to get better and I could finally see the love and happiness shine in her eyes. It wasn't fair. Why did Roza suffer the most? Why did she get the worse of everything? She didn't deserve it.

* * *

**RPOV**

The hope slowly faded away, and I felt like I was floating in nothingness. I tried to get in touch with something [_anything_] but I couldn't. It felt as if I wasn't connected to my body. I tried to focus on something that would make me feel like I was alive. My mind whirled with ideas, and landed on Dimitri. His determination to make me better and how he'd sacrificed so much just to get me to some guy. I remembered Dimitri's beautiful smile and how it could light up an entire town and how Dimitri's hair was so silky and how it was so unruly. I remembered how Dimitri's eyes looked like endless pools of gentleness and kindness. I remembered how Dimitri just oozed masculinity and how he still managed to be a gentleman.

Something else flickered in me.

* * *

**DPOV**

I sat at the kitchen table for a while, thinking about Roza. I thought about every single thing I loved about her. I thought about how selfless she was and how she'd give her life to keep the people she cared about safe. I thought about her sassy remarks and how she'd manage to light up everyone's mood. I thought about how she made me the happiest man alive by just being with me.

I thought about Roza's hair and how I loved running my fingers through it and I thought about Roza's voice and how I wouldn't mind listening to her talk forever. I thought about Roza's attitude and how it'd change in an instant. Roza was so many things and I couldn't imagine my life without her.

* * *

**RPOV**

I tried clinging to the emotion that had flickering in me. A feeling that only Dimitri could make me feel. A feeling that only Dimitri would bring out. I tried grabbing for that emotion, but everytime I tried it kept slipping through my fingers.

* * *

**DPOV**

I know that Mama would've loved to have met Roza. I bet my family would've enjoyed Roza's personality [Viktoria especially]. I knew deep down they would've loved Roza very much. I tried not to think about the negativity of all of this, but I thought about how I never would've gotten to marry Roza and I knew dhampirs couldn't conceive, but that wouldn't meen we couldn't adopt. I thought about how I'd never get to experience the happiness I dreamt of with Roza in my life, if she didn't survive Robert's treatment. That thought sent a pain of guilt and sadness through me. It felt as if a heavy weight had been placed on my shoulders.

* * *

**RPOV**

That emotion was slowly beginning to fade, but I wasn't going to give up. I tried stretching farther, trying to touch that emotion. I couldn't let it go. I _needed_ to get it. If I didn't...

I tried pushing myself to my absolute limit, reaching desperately for that emotion.

I felt something surround me, and it wasn't the darkness. What surrounded me was something that made my skin tingle and buzz and made my mind fuzzy. It felt as if I were laying on something really soft and my heart was racing a mile a minute. My stomach was doing back-flips and my vision was blurry.

I reached it.

* * *

**DPOV**

"Belikov." I looked up and saw Robert standing by the fridge. I gave a grunt in acknowledgement and sighed.

"Roza?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said flatly. Dark circle surrounded Robert's eyes and his skin seemed paler. His cheeks were bright red and he was covered in sweat.

My brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. He held a beer in one hand, opening it, and taking a long sip. "You want one?" I shook my head. "Whatever's in her is strong. It's fighting back and it's angry."

I didn't say anything for a minute, then asked if I could see Roza.

Robert rubbed his forehead with his free hand and closed his eyes. His lips pursed in a thin line and he sighed through his nose.

"If you want to," he said. "I'm guessing that maybe she needs a little...interaction. I'm doing the best I can, Belikov. You can try and talk to her, but..."

I nodded.

In an instant, I was up the stairs and heading to Roza's room.

* * *

**RPOV**

I felt as if I was wrapped in a caccoon of warmth. That emotion left me breathless at times and happy at others. I remembered how Dimitri would leave me breathless with his kisses.

* * *

**DPOV**

I went into Roza's room quietly. I grabbed a chair and sat next to her bed. She looked frail. She was trembling and it looked as if she had been crying. Hesitantly, I grabbed her hand and held it gently in mine. I would give ligh kisses on her hand and whisper how much I loved her.


	13. Chapter 13

**RPOV**

My hand felt warm. Warmer than usual, anyway. It felt...right. Sometimes I would feel pressure on my hand, but not a lot. It was warm and gentle and made my heart flutter.

* * *

**DPOV**

I would give light kisses on Roza's hand and whisper how much I love her. She had to wake up soon. Sometimes her breathing would become shallow and quick, and I'd fear that she would stop breathing. But when it calmed down, I found myself giving a sigh of relief. I desperately wanted my Roza to come back to me, but I had no idea when that would happen. It seemed like forever since I had my old Roza, it seemed like forever since I was able to hold her and love her.

_"Roza, pozhaluysta vernis',"_ I whispered in Russian. I leaned over and lightly kissed her on the lips. Her lips trembled slightly, but it felt almost as if she were kissing me back. My heart sped up just a little, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I pulled back slightly, my hand gripped hers a little tighter. I closed my eyes and sat back in my chair. "Oh, Roza..." I whispered. When I opened my eyes, I looked down for a moment. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze and entwined our fingers. "Please come back to me," I murmured. "Please."

* * *

**RPOV**

I felt something warm on my lips. It sent pleasurable shivers down my spine. It _had_ to be Dimitri. If I could force myself to wake up, maybe I could finally see Dimitri. My mind had been so filled with darkness, that I hadn't realized that Dimitri was my only light. Only Dimitri would sacrifice his career and his life to make sure nothing bad happened to me. And he did just that. Dimitri left the Academy and put his life on the line to make sure that I was okay. Even with all the threats the darkness was making, he still had enough confidence and love in me to try and make me better.

I didn't see anyone else trying to do that. I only saw Dimitri.

I closed my eyes, tightly, and tried concentrating on waking up.

* * *

**DPOV**

My eyes felt heavy. I had been sitting beside Roza for who-knows-how-long. I barely ate anything all day. The only time I'd leave Roza's side was to go use the restroom. I would continue whispering things to her in Russian, and I'd kiss her hands and her cheeks, hoping that maybe she'd wake up at my touch. It didn't seem like anything I tried was working. I got frustrated, I got angry, I got depressed, and I got overwhelmed. This could probably be what Robert was feeling. With one final kiss on Roza's hand, I fell asleep.

**THE NEXT MORNING!**

My back felt stiff, and my legs felt stiff and uncomfortable. I tried standing up to stretch. It took my brain a moment to realize that the hand I was using to hold one of Roza's hands felt...different. When I looked down, Roza's fingers were tightly wrapped around mine, when I looked at Roza's face, her eyes were open. They stared at the ceiling and her mouth was open a little.

"Roza!" I exclaimed. I clasped her hand in both of mine and held it close to me. "My Roza, please look at me." She gave me a sidelong glance and I felt my heart exploding in my chest. I kissed her hand and smiled proudly at her. Hesitantly, I asked Roza, "Do you remember me?"

She turned her head so she faced me, her expression unreadable. "You're...Dimitri," she said slowly. I nodded. "I...What happened?"

I gently placed one of my hands on her cheek. "The darkness," I said softly. She sighed and closed her eyes again. Fear shot through me. "Roza..."

"I'm still awake, comrade," she said softly. I sighed. "God, I missed you." She slowly sat up.

"I missed you too," I murmured. I put one of my hands on the small of her back to help her.

"Where are we?" she muttered.

"Vienna," I said.

Roza gave me a confused look.

"Vienna, Austria."

Her eyes widened. _"Austria?!"_ she screeched. The door slammed open and Robert stood there, looking at Roza in amazement.

"She's awake," he sighed.

"Who's that?" Roza pointed at Robert in confusion.

"Do you remember anything?" I asked gently. "From when you were..."

"Overwhelmed," Robert finished.

Roza thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Only little things," she said. "I have a killer headache though." Roza rubbed her eyes. "Feels like a hangover." When Robert left to go get Roza some cold water, she looked at me. "Why are we here, Dimitri?"

"The darkness, it was overpowering you," I said. "I talked to Victor, and he said that we had to come here so Robert, Victor's half-brother, could help you."

At the mention of Victor's name, Roza scowled. "You talked to _him?_ And that guy's Victor's half-brother? Why'd you trust Victor?! He's a total psycho!"

I hushed Roza. "Don't talk like that, Roza," I said sternly. "This man helped you. If it weren't for him..." I cut myself off. "Trust me, I don't like Victor that much, either, but he was a big help. So was his brother. At least treat this man respectfully. Please."

Roza sighed in irritation. "Fine. But if he pulls any tricks like Victor did, I'm going to kick his ass." She moaned and pressed her hands to her forehead. "God my head is pounding! How long was I out?"

"A very long time, Roza," I said. I gave her a small smile. "I'm just glad I have you back."

She smiled at me. "Kiss me?"

When Roza and I leaned forward, we heard someone clear their throat. Robert walked in and handed Roza her cold water.

"I got some painkillers too," he replied. "Take it easy." Roza eyed him skeptically but nodded. I thanked Robert and watched Roza take her medicine. I took the glass from her and placed it on the ground next to me.

"Where were we?" Roza asked. I felt my heart swell. We kissed, and I felt that electrical surge I get whenever Roza and I kissed.

I couldn't help but feel complete.

* * *

**QUICKY A/N: THIS ISN'T THE END, TRUST ME. THERE'S MORE DRAMA AND ACTION THAT IS GOING TO APPEAR IN LATER CH.'S. ROSE IS AWAKE, DIMITRI'S HAPPY, BUT IS ALL OF THE DARKNESS GONE? WHAT IF IT ISN'T? I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE HINT ON SOME OF THE LATER CH.'S, ROSE&DIMITRI GO BACK TO THE ACADEMY, BUT SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY BIG HAPPENS. AND THIS REALLY, REALLY BIG THINGS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF ROSE. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?**

**:) :)**

**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	14. QUICKY AN II

**QUICKY A/N II: SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE, AND SORRY THAT THIS ISN'T A CH. BUT, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, THAT ONCE I'VE FINISHED THIS FANFIC I WAS GOING TO WRITE ONE FOR HOST CLUB, BUT, AFTER SOME THINKING, I MIGHT PUT THE HOST CLUB FANFIC I WAS PLANNING ON WRITING ON HOLD. I THINK I MIGHT DO A 'TRANSFORMERS' FANFIC. YES, I'M A NERD FOR THOSE MOVIES. I'LL STILL DO VA FANFICS, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.**

**ONCE AGAIN, SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE AND SORRY THAT THIS WASN'T AN ACTUAL CH. I'LL BE SURE TO GET A NEW CH. UP SOON.**

**:I :I**

**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	15. Chapter 15

**RPOV**

Dimitri explained everything that happened to me. Well, everything he knew up until he "broke me out" of that mental institute. He showed me a few scars from where I hurt him, and I immediately felt horrible about it. I started crying and apologizing to Dimitri. I don't cry often, but seeing and hearing how I treated Dimitri during my little...mental vacation was beyond comprehension. Dimitri spent the next half-hour comforting me and saying it wasn't my fault and completely ignoring the comments I made on how it _was_ my fault.

Robert hadn't been seen for the rest of the day and I was happy about that. Dimitri can say all he wants about this Robert guy, but I don't trust him. I'll be grateful he helped me out, but he's related to Victor, and I despise Victor.

The painkillers that were given to me started working a few minutesa after I took them, and I started feeling a little better. But I'd say that Dimitri was the one who helped me the most; he hadn't left my side once...well, unless you count the times he went to use the restroom.

Anyway, Dimitri said that it'd be safer to spend at _least_ two days here for me to get a little better, then we'd go back to Montana. I haven't been able to get the bond's connection since I came back, and that's worrying. Dimitri said that he's sure Lissa's safe, but I asked to borrow his cell just so I can be sure. Dimitri agreed and, being the gentleman he is, allowed me some private time so I could talk to Lissa.

After dialing Lissa's number, and hearing someone answer it, I gave a sigh of relief...

...but instantly regretted it when I heard Christian's voice on the other end.

_"Christian?!"_ I gasped. "What're you doing with Lissa's phone? Where is she?"

"Rose?" I could hear the confusion and hopefulness in his voice. I knew it must be strange that I was calling Liss on Dimitri's phone, but why did Christian sound like that...? "Are you okay?"

I growled in frustration. "Quit worrying about me and answer my damn question!"

After a moment's pause, Christian answered: "Liss isn't feeling good. She's been having horrible headaches and stomachaches."

Before I could stop my mouth, I said in a threatening tone, "I swear to God, Ozera, if Liss is pregnant I will kill you myself." Unfortunately, the bond would sometimes suck me into Lissa's head during her _romantic_ moments with Christian. I would never be able to unsee the things I had to witness.

"God no, Rose." The irritation in Christian's voice was evident. "You honestly think we're that stupid? Lissa isn't pregnant. The nurses did some tests and they all came back negative."

"Good," I muttered. "You better be careful with Lissa, Ozera, got it? I don't want to be hearing that you got Liss pregnant this young...but why is she feeling so sick? Does she have a bug or something?" It's unusual for Moroi to get sick, just like it's unusual for dhampirs to get sick. The immune system for Moroi and dhampirs are far stronger than a human's, so it's rare that Moroi and dhampirs get sick.

"I don't know," Christian said in a worried tone. "Doctor Olendzki is still running tests on Lissa. She said the results won't be back for a while. I don't know how long, though."

I sighed. "Is Liss awake?"

"No," Christian said. "She was given some sleeping meds to help her sleep better. She hasn't been getting a lot of sleep."

"I can't feel the bond, either," I said irritably; a knot of worry settled in my gut. "I might not be back at the Academy for a few days, but keep me updated okay? I'm using Dimitri's phone, though."

"Okay," Christian said. "I'm sure Dimitri will need to know this too." Christian paused again. "I really hope you're okay, Rose. We were worried about you." The sincerity in Christian's voice made me smile. Even though Christian and I had our moments of not getting along, we were really close friends.

"Thanks, fireball," I said cheekily. "I'll see you in a few days. You better keep me updated, alright?" Christian agreed and we said our goodbyes. I called Dimitri back in and told him everything.

"You can't feel the bond?" The look of worry in Dimitri's dark brown eyes not only made me feel happy that he cared for Lissa so much, but made me feel guilty. Dimitri's been worrying for so long, I didn't want him to worry even more. "This is serious, Rose. We have to go back to the Academy immediately."

I put a hand on Dimitri's forearm. "Calm down, comrade. I asked Chris to keep me updated. He said he'd text any results that come back. I used your phone so that means your number is in Lissa's phone! I'm sure Chris is going to use Lissa's phone."

The dark look of worry still animated Dimitri's face.

I cupped Dimitri's face in my hands. "Quit worrying, Dimitri Belikov." The firmness in my voice caused Dimitri's eyebrow to go up, making me irritated that I couldn't do that. "I have complete faith in Lissa _and_ in Christian. Besides, you said that I needed to rest up a little, right? So why don't we do that. But if you ask me, you need the resting more than I do." The dark circles that were under Dimitri's eyes made me feel horrible. I caused Dimitri so much pain and heartache. I caused Dimitri endless worrying and fear. I caused Dimitri frustration and anger. Why couldn't our relationship be _normal?_ Why is it whenever something wonderful happens between Dimitri and I, something disturbing has to interfere with it? The one time Dimitri and I are actually _together_ and I have a complete darkness-takeover.

"I don't need to rest," Dimitri said stubbornly.

"Yes you do," I growled. "When's the last time you had a full night's rest?" The silence that followed answered my question. Scooting over, I patted the spot next to me and ordered Dimitri get some sleep.

* * *

**QUICKY A/N: SORRY IF THIS CH. WASN'T LONG ENOUGH OR IT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH OR BOTH. I'M TRYING TO JUST PUT IN SOME FILLERS AND STUFF...**

**SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN THE PAST FEW DAYS, I WAS IN CALIFORNIA GOING TO A FUNERAL. BUT I'M BACK AND I UPDATED THE LATEST CH.! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! IF I GET A LOT OF REVIEWS, I'LL TRY AND UPDATE QUICKER! CAN YOU DO THAT FOR ME PLEASE? I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.**

**AND, SINCE I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER DONE THIS, DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE ACADEMY IN ANY WAY! RICHELLE MEAD DOES! THOUGH I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM OWNING DIMITRI OR ANYTHING...**

**SORRY! :P**

**ANYWAY, THANKS FOR READING THIS CH. AND PLEASE SEND IN A LOT OF REVIEWS SO I CAN GET THAT NEXT CH. UP! MAYBE I'LL DO A LITTLE TIME SKIP AND HAVE ROSE&DIMITRI BACK IN THE ACADEMY SO THEY CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH OUR LITTLE DRAGOMIR.**

**SHEESH, SORRY THIS QUICKY A/N WAS SO LONG. IT'S ALMOST AS LONG AS THE CH. ...**

**WELL, GOOD NIGHT AND THANKS FOR READING!**

**:) :)**

**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	16. Chapter 16

**RPOV *two days later!***

Dimitri and I were to arrive at the Academy in a few hours. Robert had been nice enough to give Dimitri and I a ride to the airport a few days back. I tried being polite and thanking him, but I sensed Robert knew my dislike for him. He didn't seem phased by it either.

When Dimitri and I boarded the planes back to Montana, it was quiet and a bit tense. I was worried sick about Lissa and why she'd be sick. Dimitri said that Christian hadn't sent any results yet, probably since they haven't been shown yet. There was a noticeable tension in Dimitri's shoulders, which meant he was beyond worried. Deep down, a horrible feeling of guilt built up inside of me. Dimitri spent so long trying to make sure I got better and had to deal with all the hell I put him through...only to find out the Moroi he's going to protect is sick with who-knows-what.

For the entire trip back to Montana, I just stared at my hands. My skin was paler than usual and sometimes I'd get horrible headaches. Occasionally I'd hear weird voices in my head, but they were muffled, so I couldn't make out what they were saying.

During the trip, I'd feel Dimitri's eyes on me, occasionally. He knew it was unnatural for me to be this quiet, but he didn't ask any questions. There were still dark circles under Dimitri's eyes and it almost looked as if he lost a little weight. I didn't want Dimitri ruining himself to make sure everyone else was okay. I wanted to convince Dimitri that he'd done enough and I should be the one worrying, but I knew he would only argue and say that I've been through enough "stress" lately and I need to "relax." He's treating me like I'm some breakable item. I feel useless, and that's one thing I absolutely hate.

* * *

**DPOV**

Roza has been quiet lately, and she seems almost distant. Not like before, almost like she's thinking. She won't look at me. I've been trying to make Roza relax, since I don't want her getting overwhelmed with anything yet. She's been through so much, and I would feel terrible for letting her go through that ordeal again if I let her do what she wanted.

The whole trip back to Montana has been a stressfully quiet one. Hearing that the Princess is sick and not getting any results is having its effects on Roza and I. There's a part of me that knows Roza wants to be there for the Princess and help her feel better, but there's been no updates or anything on the Princess's condition.

**...**

"I'm not weak." We had landed in Montana not too long ago, and I had loaded everything into my car before Roza and I headed back to the Academy. I looked at her, her eyes were staring blankly out the windshield.

"No, you're not," I agreed.

"You won't let me do anything." Her voice was flat. She seemed almost void of emotion. "I'm not weak. Why won't you let me _do_ something?"

"I don't want you getting hurt again," I said quietly. "It was hard enough seeing you go through that, I don't want anything like that happening again."

"I'm eighteen, Dimitri," Roza said. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't need to be babied."

My grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I'm not babying you, Rose. I want to protect you."

"I don't _need_ protection," she growled. "I won't need protection when I'm Lissa's guardian. You need to learn that I can look after myself!"

In an instant, I drove to the side of the road and stopped. I turned the car off and looked and Roza. I was furious. She shrank back a little.

I grabbed her shoulders and, despite her wearing a seatbelt, made her turn to look at me.

_"I don't care if you can look after yourself,"_ he seethed. _"Do you know how worried I was when you were like that? How scared I was?! I thought I'd lose you FOREVER! I thought you'd be too far gone to be saved and that something HORRIBLE would happen to you and I'd never see you again. That made me feel useless and helpless, Rosemarie. I had a hard time eating and sleeping and I couldn't think about ANYTHING but you. I do not want to hear anymore of this bullshit of you saying I'm 'babying' you, Rose. I can't lose you."_

The look in Roza's eyes when I said that was a mixture of fear, desperation, guilt, anger, and sadness. Tears were in my eyes and I tried so hard to keep them from falling. I hadn't cried in so many years, not since Ivan's death. It didn't matter to me if Roza was my student or if I was seven years older than her. She meant more to me than the Princess. I didn't care if Roza was a dhampir and that we could never have children. The thought of having Roza die or something horrible happen to her filled me with every kind of emotion I could think of.

My fingers dug into Roza's shoulders.

"I can't lose you," I choked. My voice cracked and tears fell down my face. I lowered my head, my hair falling around my face. "I can't..." My entire body trembled. All the emotions I had built up inside of me exploded. "Please don't leave me. Please..."

I heard Roza undo her seatbelt and wrap her arms around me. I buried my face into the crook of her neck and held her close to me.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

I held onto Roza tightly. I didn't want to ever let her go.

* * *

**QUICKY A/N: I MENTIONED THERE BEING SOME VERY BIG SOMETHING, DIDN'T I? SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT AND REALLY BIG...**

**I WILL GET STARTED ON THAT IMPORTANT THING IN THE [POSSIBLY] NEXT CH.**

**HOW WAS THIS ONE? SORRY IF IT WAS BLEH, YOU CAN LET ME KNOW IF IT WAS. SORRY IF IT WAS SHORT, I'LL TRY AND MAKE THE NEXT CH. LONGER. SO, NEXT CH., I'LL TRY AND HAVE THAT BIG THING HAPPEN AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH LISSA.**

**PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I LOVE HEARING WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO SAY. IT'S BECAUSE OF Y'ALL THAT I'M ABLE TO WRITE MY FANFICS. SOOOO...REVIEW, I GUESS. :I**

**:) :)**

**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	17. Chapter 17

**RPOV**

After Dimitri's meltdown, we spent the next five minutes just sitting there. Once Dimitri had composed himself, we started our way back to the Academy. It was quiet and a heaviness hung in the air. A really depressing heaviness. I just stared out the window and Dimitri continued driving with a look of regret and guilt written on his face. Once we pulled up into the Academy, I felt a knot of uneasiness settle in my stomach.

Once the car was off, I jumped out of the car and tried to get to the infirmary as quickly as I could. But I got stopped by some guardians when I was halfway there.

"What are you doing here?" It was a female guardian named Celeste. She looked at me worriedly. I'm sure everyone in the Academy knew of my little mental breakdown, so I wasn't surprised when the guardians stopped me. "I thought you were in that institution?"

I glared at her. "I'm fine," I snapped. "I have to see Lissa, let me through."

"The Princess?" Alberta, who had been watching me quietly, looked at me with a look of fierce concern on her face. "You're not going near the Princess."

I clenched my fists. "I _have_ to, she's not feeling well!" I glared at the guardians. The surrounded me, each of them tense and ready to attack me the moment I moved a finger.

"Let her through." Dimitri's deep voice rumbled through the tense quiet. He stared intensely at the guardians surrounding me. His shoulders were squared and he had his guardian mask on. Dimitri's eyes focused on me and he motioned me to follow him.

"She's not allowed near the Princess," Celeste said firmly. "We don't know if she's truly stable enough to..."

Dimitri's head snapped in her direction. Celeste's mouth shut. "She's fine," Dimitri said in a low tone.

"How do you know?" Alberta asked.

Dimitri's mouth pursed in a thin line. "She's strong," he said simply. "And I believe her."

And with that, Dimitri led me to Lissa without a word.

**...**

By the time Dimitri and I reached the infirmary, I searched each room to find out which one had Lissa. By the time I reached Lissa's room, I stopped. Christian had been sitting beside Lissa, and looked up worriedly when I bursted in. I barely paid any attention to Christian, only to how horrible Lissa looked. Normally, she looked beautiful, but at that moment, she looked like death. She was very, very skinny, her platinum blonde hair was stringy and oily, she was unusually pale, even for a Moroi.

"Hathaway?" Christian looked at me carefully.

"What's wrong with Lissa?" I asked shakily. "What happened?"

Christian swallowed thickly, and looked away for a moment. "I don't know," he said nervously. "They've done every test they could on her and they're not finding anything wrong." Before I could open my mouth again, Christian looked up at me desperately. "She's not pregnant, she doesn't have any kind of cold...I don't know what to do." He looked like frightened child...helpless, clueless. I couldn't even feel the bond, and that concerned me even more.

"Did you try asking Adrian?" I asked.

Christian didn't say anything for a moment, then cursed himself under his breath.

"I haven't tried," he muttered. "I'm sure he's just as worried about Lissa as we are."

"Call him."

As Christian called Adrian, I knelt down by Lissa and grabbed her hand. It was cold and sweaty. I tried my best to focus on finding the bond, but I couldn't. I couldn't feel any of Lissa's emotions, I couldn't get into her head. Maybe there was a big, buildup of darkness...?

After a few minutes, Adrian came into the room. He paused when he saw me.

"Little dhampir...W-What...?" he stammered.

"Focus on Lissa," I hissed. "What's wrong with her?"

Adrian looked at Lissa carefully. Being a more experienced spirit-user, I thought maybe he'd be able to see what was wrong with her. Maybe if he focused on her aura...

"Her aura is going back and forth between darkness and her regular aura," Adrian said. "It's almost as if her body's fighting off her magic."

"And it's hurting her?" Christian asked.

"From the looks of it," Adrian said uncertainly, "it's most likely killing her. I-I've never seen this before."

"Try healing her," I demanded. "Maybe if you heal her, it'll stop."

Adrian looked at me with a look of confusion, desperation, and uncertainty. "I don't know if healing her will help, little dhampir," he said. "If her body's fighting the magic, then I highly doubt another spirit-user's magic will help any."

I bit my bottom lip to keep it from trembling. I always told myself I'd keep Lissa safe. I'd never let anything hurt her, I'd never let her magic overwhelm her. I failed.

"C-Could you at least try and dreamwalk?" I asked in a small voice. "Can you at least try communicating with her through her dreams?" I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. "I need to know if there's anything I can do."

Adrian frowned. "I-I'll try."

Sitting himself down in Christian's chair, Adrian fell asleep. While we waiting for what seemed like forever, Adrian woke up and sighed.

"What'd she say?" Christian said almost immediately.

"I was able to contact Lissa," Adrian said flatly. "But just barely. She said her magic is becoming too much." His emerald eyes looked empty of all emotion. He looked at me carefully.

"Well?" I asked. "Did she say anything else?"

"Yeah."

"What the hell did she say?" I snapped.

"She said the darkness is trying to take over," he said. "It's trying to control her body. I guess her magic is trying to destroy her." My heart beat fast in my chest, almost painfully. "She knows you're here, little dhampir. And she said that there's only one way for the darkness to be taken from her...completely."

I felt my blood run cold. I looked at Adrian with a fearful expression.

"How?" I said in a trembling voice.

Adrian looked at me with an expression full of pain. "She said..."

* * *

**QUICKY A/N: CLIFFHANGER! SORRY IF THIS CH. WASN'T GOOD! I TRIED MAKING IT SUSPENSFUL, BUT I DON'T THINK I'M THAT GOOD WHEN IT COMES TO SUSPENSE AND STUFF. BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO SAY. HOW CAN ROSE GET RID OF ALL THE DARKNESS THAT'S DESTROYING LISSA? HER MAGIC'S ALREADY TRYING TO KILL HER!**

**ANYWAY, SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN A WHILE. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO A LITTLE WORK ON THE NEXT FANFIC I'M GOING TO WRITE. I BELIEVE I'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE A 'TRANSFORMERS' FANFIC. KINDA BASED ON THE MOVIES. I'LL TRY AND DO MORE 'VAMPIRE ACADEMY' FANFICS IN THE FUTURE, BUT I'D LIKE TO KIND OF WIDEN MY FANFIC HORIZON A LITTLE, YOU KNOW?**

**ANYWHO, REVIEW PLEASE! I LOVE HEARING WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO SAY.**

**THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!**

**:) :)**

**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


	18. QUICKY AN III

**QUICKY A/N: I KNOW YOU WERE PROBABLY HOPING FOR A CH. TELLING ON WHAT ROSE HAS TO DO TO SAVE OUR LITTLE DRAGOMIR. AND, UNFORUTNATELY, THIS ISN'T A CH.. I DID READ THE REVIEWS YOU GUYS LEFT AND I DID LIKE THEM, BUT IT WOULD HELP SOOOOOO MUCH IF I COULD HAVE MORE REVIEWS, JUST SO I CAN GET A GENERAL IDEA ON WHAT I CAN DO TO MAKE THE NEXT CH. GOOD.**

**I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE, GUYS. PLEASE DON'T BE MAD OR ANYTHING! AND I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I'M USING EXCUSES, BUT SCHOOL STARTED LAST WEEK AND DURING MY LAST WEEK OF SUMMER, I UNLEASHED A HORRIBLE VIRUS ONTO MY COMPUTER THAT ALMOST CAUSED IT TO CRASH. I DID THAT THREE TIMES.**

**SO, PLEASE MORE REVIEWS! I'LL UPDATE PROBABLY THIS WEEKEND.**

**SORRY FOR THE WAIT. I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR DOING THAT. :(**

**:( :(**

**YOURS TRULY,**

**~SMITHY**


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